Strong family ties are part of Latino culture. Choosing the right bank that can help you provide financial support to your loved ones is an important decision for you to consider.

To make it easier and more convenient for Colorado Latinos to send money to their families and friends outside the United States, Wells Fargo recently expanded its ExpressSend® remittance network through an agreement with Mexico City-based Banco Azteca, S.A. de C.V., a financial services company owned by Grupo Elektra.

ExpressSend is affordable, convenient and dependable since the money is delivered quickly and safely by a trusted financial services company that has 160 years of experience.

ExpressSend allows those receiving money the flexibility either to have money deposited directly into their bank account in the foreign country or to pick up cash if they don’t have an account.

Wells Fargo ExpressSend customers now have more than 40,200 remittance payout locations to send money to 15 countries in Latin America and Asia including Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Peru.

Most of Elektra and Banco Azteca locations also have extended hours of operation and are open 365 days a year.

With this expansion in Mexico alone, Wells Fargo has increased its distribution network to more than 12,400 payout locations, giving Wells Fargo one of the largest payout networks in the country - now including Banco Azteca and Elektra retail stores.

In 2011, Wells Fargo transferred more than $1 billion to Mexico through Wells Fargo ExpressSend. Wells Fargo experienced a 23 percent growth in overall dollar volume to Mexico in 2011 compared to 2010. The expanded distribution is attributed to the increasing needs of Wells Fargo customers to have access to alternative options.

Pat Cortez is senior vice president and director of government and public relations for Wells Fargo in Colorado.